Fury Road (In Praise of Wendi Wright)
He was trying to kill them, American Style, all smiles and handshakes
She nearly ran him off the road, cursing
at reckless speed, headlights bearing down on him
like the angry eyes of God.
Panicked, Republican David Kustoff asked
his assistant to look and there’s Wendi, wild
wind licking her hair like fire; they tried
to lose her, yanking the car as wheels spat
dirt from the roadside. David veered like he
talked. This way and that. A man people
found hard to follow, as he explained, repeatedly
the wisdom of cutting money from health care.
No. No. No. Wendi rose thinking
of her daughter, a small brown girl, born sick,
who needs treatment, she can’t afford and this fucking guy
trying to kill her, American style — all smiles and handshakes.
Following him from the parking lot, she gunned it,
eyes feral, as if chasing a murderer fleeing
a crime scene, two cars speeding on the road,
until he skidded to a stop in a friend’s driveway.
A day later, she’s on the news, a mother’s mugshot,
scared, defiant while charged with reckless
endangerment. In the same article, another photo —
long before the chase, Wendi smiles as her daughter
rides piggyback, laughing as she holds on
for dear life.
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Photo: Wendi Wright. Source: Weakley County Sheriff’s Department.